Improved apparatus for preserving beer



CHARLES IOHLMANN, OF

LOUISVILLE, KENTUGKI.

Letters Patent No. 103,498, datd May 24, 1870.

IMPRQ'VED APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING- BEER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making parl; of the same.

To all whom tana- 1j concern Bc it known that I, CHARLES IOHLMANN, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Beer and similar liquids; I do hereby declare the following to be a tnll and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes part otl this specification, and which represents a scetioiial side elevation of au apparatus with my improvement attached.

'Ihe nature of my invention consists in an elastic bag, formed in a shape to accommodate itself to the inside of a barrel, t-o which it is applied, in such a manner that, when the bag is iilled with air, and snpplied with air under pressure, the bag will gradually expand, and exert a pressure upon the liquid in the cask in which it is placed.

lt further consists in a novel apparatus for supplying the bag with air nder pressure.

A inthe drawings represents a barrel filled, or nearly so, with any suitable liquor-for inst-ance, beer.

B is an elastic bag, preferably made of thin India rubber, or suoli other material as will readily expand without danger of breaking.

rIhis bag is securely att-ached to the lower end of a bung, G, which, above the barrel, is provided with a short pipe, extending laterally from the bung, and provided with a stop-cock, D.

'Ihe bung C' is provided with au opening, which connects the tube just described with the inside of' the bag B.

Attached to the stop-cock I) is an elastic tube, E, which passes through the top plate F, and connects with thc interior of 'a bellows, G.

'Ihis bellows consists ot a circular piece of elastic material, preferably India rubber, provided with a bottom, H, which is securely fastened to the floor or bottoni piece ofany casing within which the bellows may bc placed.

ln thel drawing, I have shown the bellows placed in a casing, I, on the inside of which, at opposite sides, and ncar thc bottom, are secured springs J, which arc connected hy ropes or chains L, through which top plate guide-rods )I pass, the guide-rods being secured at bottom and top ot' thc casing.

0n the top plate F of the bellows is secured a liandlc, N; aml through the top plate passes a stop-cock, (l, connecting. with the interior of the bellows.

Lhc operation of my device is as follows:

A. keg oi.' hccr having been tapped, the innig is knocked out, the bag Il closely folded, passed through the bung-hole into the kcg, and the bung G knocked tightly into the lanig-hole. Ihc stop-cock D heilig closed, and the stop-cock O opened, the bellows are illed with air by raising them by means of handle N, the springs J being nnwound as the bellows are raised. 'Ihe stop-cock O beingnow closed, andthe stop-cock D opened, the springs J, pulling down the top plate I ot' thc bellows, forces the air, through pipe E and bung C, into the bag B, which expands l'ar as* the liquid will allow. As the baer is gradi. y drawn troni the keg, the pressure ot' the air from the bellows causes the bag to expand, and exert a continu i the liquid until the saine is entirely oisehnrged from the keg. l

In thus keepingT a continual pressure upon the liquid within the keg without the air eoi'ning iu contact with the saine, the strength of the beer cannot esc-apc, thus preventing it from becoming tlat. I

By thisI means, a keg maybe tapped in. theevemng, a few `glasses withdrawn, and the beer remaining in the keg will be as fresh the next moi-nino, or at any time for weeks thereafter, as when first tapped.

When a keg is emptied, the bellona-i will be down, or nearly so. By raising the bellows, 'the stop-cock I) being open, and O closed, thc air will be withdrawn from the bag B, which latter, ai'tcr bcinn emptied, and the stop-cock D closed, may he nit'udiiiwii from thc empty keg, and placed into a newly-tappcd one. IS y merely opening the stop-cock D, the pressure will be exerted anew on the bag B, the bellows having been iilled-with the air from the bag bollire removal from the empty ke".

In practice, I prefer making the bellows somewhat larger than the keg or barrel on which operates, so as to always have a full and strongl 1, re ot' air.

rIlie bag B will have to be made ol" such size as'to ll, when fully expanded, the keg or lm rrcl to which it is applied.

Having thus described my inve. tion,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

The combination of the elastic bag with the automatic air-pressure apparatus f?, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

2. rIhe elastic bag B, closely fit( ing` the keg or bar .rel when expanded, when used witl ii pressure oi' air, substantially asand for the purpose set Forth.

S. rIhe conibinat-ion of the has; i ionic C, stop cock D, elastic tube E, bellows tl, anu stop-cock 0, when so arranged as to permit tia i om the bag to be withdrawn again into the bello iat is to say, a continuous use ot' th Som@ air, il ,hod,

` CHARLES l'tliliil'IANN.

W i tnesscs ALEX, n. C. Kriiiucnn, Joux W. McGILL. 

